The class O-9 refers to one of various Canadian National 0-6-0 switchers. A total of 93 of these were originally built for the Grand Trunk Railway and were known there as class F. The Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad only received two identical locomotives. The total of 95 locomotives were manufactured by the Grand Trunk's own workshops and by five commercial manufacturers. The service live of some ended in the thirties, but others survived until the fifties. The number 7312 is today owned by the Strasburg Railroad and is expected to be operational again by the end of 2023.

The S-1 was the standard freight locomotive of all Canadian National predecessors from 1913 onwards. It was a Mikado with 63-inch drivers and 27 by 30-inch cylinders. The subclasses S-1-a to e were used by the Canadian Government Railways and were only built by Canadian manufacturers. The Grand Trunk operated classes S-1-f to h, which also came from US manufacturers. After these batches were built until 1918, it was not until 1926 that the CN had two more S-1-j built. Three locomotives were preserved, of which only 3254 was operational until 2012. The 3377 had before been dismantled to provide spare parts for 3254.

U-1c No. 6039 in August 2006 in Steamtown, Scranton, Pennsylvania

US National Park Service

The Grand Trunk Western received five U-1cs from Baldwin in 1925, which were similar to parent company Canadian National's U-1a and b. They were modern Mountain type locomotives that were suitable for passenger, express and freight trains. They had a feed water heater and a stoker and were the first GTW locomotives with a Vanderbilt tender. Beginning in 1929, the CLC delivered five U-1d and the Montreal Locomotive Works twelve U-1e. The sub-variants d and e are largely the same, but differ in the Walschaert and Baker type valve gear.

For mixed service in front of freight, passenger and express trains, the Canadian National procured locomotives with the wheel arrangement 4-8-4 for the first time in 1927, known in English-speaking countries as “Northern”. They followed the “superpower” philosophy popular in North America at the time and boasted a grate area of more than 80 square feet thanks to the rear bogie. The heating surface of the firebox was maximized with thermosiphons, fire bricks and water pipes. What was special about the rear bogie was that the wheels on the two axles had very different diameters of 34 and 48 inches.

The first delivery from 1927 included 20 units each from the Canadian Locomotive Company and the Montreal Locomotive Works, which were designated as class U-2a and U-2b. The frame of both series was partly made of vanadium steel and nickel steel. Some had a booster on a rear bogie axle that provided an additional starting tractive effort of 10,900 pounds. ALCO built ten more, almost identical locomotives for the Grand Trunk Western.

From 1929 a new version was produced in which the relationship between the flues and tubes in the boiler differed from the first series. The frames were now only made of nickel steel. Instead of the spoked wheels, the lighter boxpok wheels were now used. The first 20 examples of this design came from Montreal and were designated U-2c. From there came five more as U-2d in 1936 and 15 as U-2e in 1940. Also in 1940, ten U-2fs arrived from the Canadian Locomotive Company.

U-2d No. 6161. The Boxpok wheels can be seen in comparison with the U-2a

collection Taylor Rush

The last version had a smaller tube heating surface than the second version and therefore a larger superheater. The first 35 were completed in 1943 by the Montreal Locomotive Works as the U-2g. Later that year and in 1944, another 30 were made at the same plant, known as the U-2h.

One example still in existence today is U-2g No. 6213. It was used until 1959 and is now owned by the City of Toronto. It has been displayed at Exhibition Place and has been cared for by the Toronto Locomotive Preservation Society over the years. In 2009 she was transferred to a roundhouse, where she was cosmetically prepared in 2019. In its current condition, it is quite conceivable that it could be restored to operational condition in the future.

Another U-2g that still exists is number 6200 in Ottawa. This was recently rebuilt so that it now can be towed. Number 6218 sits in Fort Erie, Ontario but hasn't been restored yet.